The Death and reprise of a Ranger
by The Potal
Summary: Halt the Ranger died years ago, his body never found. The next day, Cedric comes to Roland's castle. Now we all know the story of how Cedric wants Sofia's Amulet, but what if he was poisoned to? What if Wormwood killed Halt? What if Halt's not dead?
1. Proluge

The chains won't go cold tonight. Halt the Ranger, would make sure of that. Cold and cunning, everyone knew to stay out of his way. He was the King's best personal Ranger, well till tonight. Halt, like many others, was human. He had a heart.

So when he brought in a tiny black bird with a broken wing, he had now clue that he was letting in his and his King's demise.

* * *

Cedric, the Magician, strached his head in thought. Slamming his head on his desk, he groaned. Wormy growled. "Oh shut it Wormy. If only I had that amulet, I- that's it!" Cedric rose his head so fast that he slammed his head right into Wormy's birdcage that had been right above him. "Sofia has magic training tonight after dinner! I'll confront her before she can scream for help! She'll never see it coming! Oh, I'm a genius! And, OWWWWWWW!" Cedric said, rubbing his head. Wormy rolled his eyes.


	2. The tried killing attempt

Sofia's POV

I walked up to my father, who was staring at a picture on the wall. He seemed stiff. "Dad, who is that man?" The man in the picture wore a cloak that looked like it was covered with moss, and never was cleaned properly. My dad seemed to awake from his thoughts. He turned to face me as Amber, my sister, screamed. "What is it Amber?" "That man. He's wearing a moss covered cloak! That was once a fashion?!" Dad rolled his eyes. "This man, Sofia, was my father's best personal Ranger. He saved my brother and my life multiple times. He probably would have gotten more done if my brother and I hadn't get in the way so much." James laughed. Dad sighed. "Sadly though, he disappeared the night after my six birthdays, and the night before Cedric arrived."

I had training tonight with Cedric for my magic class. He might not be the best magician in the world, but he was the only one I had access to. I walked up the stairs to his tower. Instead of Cedric's constant bickering to his bird, Wormy, it was quiet. "Mister Cedric?" I asked. I don't know if I really heard this, or I imaged this, but I think I heard giggles? I opened the door to see no one? "Mister Ced-Ahhhhhh!" I yelped as Cedric popped out from nowhere. "Princess Sofia are you okay?" "Yes Mister Ced-Ahhh Mister Cedric, your bird!" Cedric only had the limited amount of time to turn around to see his bird flying towards him. Suddenly, it bit him on the neck. His eyes turned red. "Um, Mister Cedric?" I asked. Mister Cedric reached into his robe and pulled out a dagger. "Mister Cedric?" He swung. I yelped as I blocked it. Downstairs, I heard some of the royal guards yell, "Sofia!?" Mister Cedric swung again, almost drawing blood. Four royal guards rushed in and grabbed Mister Cedric, who strangely went unconsense in their arms, dropping his dagger.

Later that day…..

Unlike most of the prisoners in the under the castle prison, Mister Cedric didn't fight the royal guards or yell that he had been framed. After he was put in his cell, he just sat in the far corner, where you could barely see anything other than some of his face. "Cedric, in due of trying to kill my daughter Sofia, you shall be hanged in one month's time," my Dad proclaimed. Mister Cedric just nodded. "Y-yes my K-king." Dad spat on the floor and turned to go. Dad, Mom, James, and Amber left. I stood there, shocked still. "How could you Cedric?" I whispered. I turned to go when, "AHHHHHHHH!" I turned back around to see Cedric on the cell floor, twitching in clear pain, as if fighting something inside himself. I tilted my head. "Cedric?" Cedric, still twitching in pain, pulled out a dagger that the royal guards somehow missed, and started to cut at where Wormy had bit him in the neck? "Cedric!" I cried. I unlocked the cell door and rushed in. Deeper and deeper he dug until he pulled out an infected artery. Then he collapsed on the floor. "Cedric?" I whispered. Was this a trick? _"It couldn't be,"_ I thought. "_I know Cedric, and he wouldn't endanger himself for what he wanted." _

Gasping, (and with blood pouring out from his neck) Cedric sat up. "I'm free. I'm finally free."


	3. I'm free

"What do you, um, mean free?" I whispered. Cedric looked up. His whole face had changed, with bits still changing. His hair grew black and his eyes changed from expressing hatred and stress to sternness and kindness. His eyes color changed too. His body grew more lean and skinny. By the time he was done, he looked nothing like the Cedric I knew. If I hadn't watched him changed, I wouldn't have believed it was really him. Cedric leaned against the wet cell wall, panting. "Who are you?" was his reply. His voice now sounded gruff, but friendly, well kind of.

"I'm Princess Sofia. Don't you remember me?" Cedric wiped some of the fresh blood from his neck and sweat off onto his hand. He shook it off. "Am I suppose to?" I thought about this. "Well, yes actually. You tried to kill me earlier." Cedric's eyes widened in surprise. "I did?" I nodded. There was a moment of silence as I thought quickly the escape roots I could take. Unforantly, the cell door had shut when I walked in, locking it. "Look, I'm sorry," Cedric said finally. "It's a long story." Cedric paused. "I'm going to die tonight, aren't I?" I looked down. "Um no. Actually in a month's time. But what's the story? I'd _love_ to hear it," I said, sitting down a few feet away, the dagger in the folds of my dress, awaiting the time to bolt.

"It was that dumb bird. I found it, I don't know how long ago, but anyway, it bit me." "Wormy?" Cedric looked at me, confused. _"Wormy?"_

"Yea. Your pet bird?" "I don't have a pet bird. And if I did, I certainly wouldn't call it, _Wormy_." "Well, actually his name's Wormwood, Cedric." _"Cedric?"_ I looked at him closely. No scars, no bruises. _"But he did just underwent a complete transformation,"_ I thought. "That's your name Cedric. Right?" Cedric turned and spit on the already wet cell floor.

"Jackass bird. I hate the name Cedric."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then what's your name?"

"Halt."

Cedric's eyes suddenly widened, yet again. "That's it! I can't believe I didn't recognize him."

"Recognize who?"

" Morgarath the Third. He wanted me to kill you to have you out of the way, than for me to be hanged. With me and you gone, he can defeat the whole kingdom."

I thought this over for a minute. "That would explain why you're such an awful wizard."

We both sat in silence.

"You should go. Your Father and Mother problay miss you," Cedric, sorry I mean Halt, said finally.

"But we have to tell-"

"No. I disobeyed my King and Will. I shall accept my fate. But you must, when the time is right, stop Morgorath." "But-"

"It shall be alright. Now go." I nodded and left.


	4. Halt doesn't lie

It was the next morning.

"I can't believe you, Sofia," Mia said, helping me put on my shawl. "You stayed with the man who tried to kill you?!" "I always told you that Cedric was a little bit loony," Clover said. Robin looked at him. Clover gulped.

"And to tell you the truth, I believe him," I said. "What?! Why?" I thought for a minute. I don't know."

James rushed into my room. "Sofia, come on! We'll be late for school!" "Okay James," I said. I started to run than stopped when James was out of the room. I turned around. "Can you guys watch Cedric?" Robin and Mia looked at each other. Relutiatly they all nodded.

"Oh Sofia! Is the rumors true?! Did your royal magician really try to kill you?" Princess Clio asked. I nodded. Princess Hildegard gasped. We were walking into royal prep. The three fairy teachers smiled as we sat down. "Today, class we will start our annul writing project," Flora said. Some of my classmates groaned, and some smiled. I leaned over to Amber. "What's the writing project?" I asked. "It's when you pick a person and you learn about their past. Here's a tip: Don't do Bailywick. He's sooooooo booring." I nodded. "Now this project will be done in one month's time. Don't do someone you've done before, Amber," Flora noted. (Amber had began to pull out last year's writing project.)

I raised my hand. "Yes, Sofia?" Merryweather asked.

"I was, um, reading in an old history book last night, and who's Mogerath?" Merryweather's eyes widened in surprise. (In fact, all the headmistriss' eyes did.) Clearly, they did not expect this...

Flora took in a big breathe. "Mogerath was an evil Baron back somewhat twenty years ago?" Flora said uncertainly, looking at Merryweather. Merryweather nodded. "Before he was killed by Halt the Ranger( who in the process went missing in the woods with wounds and died) he was said to have magical abites." My eyes widened. _"So Mogerath was real...,"_ I thought. "Nothing you need to worry about Sofia," Merryweather said, noticing my eyes.

* * *

I rushed home that day, my backpack filled with paper. "Hey Sofia," Dad said, smiling. "Hey Dad!" I said rushing into my room. "Honey ho-" I didn't stay to hear the rest. I put down my backpack on my bed and ran back in to the living room. Mom smiled at me. "Honey, how was your day? It must be hard to go back to school after the attack," Mom said concered. I shooked my head. "No." I pulled out my libary card out of my pocket. "I'm going to the libary. Bye!"

I rushed into the cell. Clover, Robin, and Mia were looking over a sleeping Cedric. Clover looked concered. "Hey guys! Is... everything .. okay?" I said, sitting down besides Cedric. "He's ill," Mia said. I put my hand on his forehead. He was covered in sweat. "Cedric?" I asked. "Told you, name's Halt." Halt murmered. I gave a sigh of relif. Halt sat up. If one night in prison did what it did to Cedric, sorry Halt, I never want to break a rule again. He looked as if he had gotten the summer and winter bug sickness togther. "What's wrong Halt? I sneaked you some soup. Here." I handed Halt a bowl of greenish soup. Halt took it. He took one polite sip, than chuged the whole thing down. He whiped the sweat off his face. "Thanks. I'm fine, by the way." "Oh really? You vomitted on my tail!" Clover excaimed. "Halt," I began. Halt sighed. "Fine. I want to die. I failed Will." "Will?" I asked. "My apprentice. I see him as a son." Halt swalled hard. "Will was sick when I came to this castle, seeking money. I was too far from my own to borrow some from the Baron for medicene. Will's problay dead now." To get off the subject, I said, " You weren't lying. Morgerath is real." "Of course. Why would I lie?" I shrugged.


End file.
